The present invention relates to hyperbaric oxygen therapy systems and more particularly to hyperbaric therapy systems permitting ease of entry and adaptation for multiple users.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, generally administered in hyperbaric chambers, is indicated for many medical conditions, therapeutic purposes, and training regimens. Hyperbaric treatment can aid in the treatment of many oxygen dependent diseases as well as sports injuries. In the case of sports injuries or training of athletes, benefit can be derived from exercising within hyperbaric chambers. Some of the ailments that can be effectively treated by oxygen therapy in a hyperbaric environment are as follows: carbon monoxide (often seen in burn patients), acute cyanide poisoning, severe blood loss anemia, osteoradionecrosis, aerobic and anaerobic infections with tissue necrosis, air embolism, decompression sickness, skin grafts, gas gangrene, radionecrosis of bone and soft tissue, bone grafts, pre and post surgery, bacteroides infection, acute cerebral edema, intestinal obstruction, acute peripheral traumatic ischemia, chronic skin ulcers, gastric ulcer, fracture healing suturing severed limbs, acute thermal, crush injury, traumatic head and spinal cord injury, osteomyelitis, chronic stroke, decubitus ulcers, trophic skin ulcer, diabetic skin ulcer, multiple sclerosis, decubitus ulcers (bed sores), soft tissue healing (postoperative or postradiotherapy), post stroke, angina, skin ulcers (arterial insufficiency), difficult healing bone (non-union fractures, etc.), neurological insufficiencies, burns cerebral edema, crisis of sickle cell anemia, exceptional blood loss anemia, near drowning, near hanging, severed limbs, ileus, blast injury, hydrogen sulfide poisoning, near electrocution, peyote poisoning, smoke inhalation, induced iatrogenic, spinal cord contusion, physiological transection, partial motor or sensory loss, acute, chronic, acute, relapsing/remitting, chronic progressive, peripheral neuropathy, radiation myelitis, cerebral edema, toxic encephalopathy, vasoenic, traumatic, early organic brain syndrome, small vessel disease, vegetative coma, hypoxia encephalopathy, cranial nerve syndromes, trigemenial neuralgia, optic neuritis, vestibular disorders, sudden deafness, brain stem syndromes, retinal artery occlusion, Charcot Marie""s tooth disease, crush injuries compartment syndrome, clostridia myonecrosis, acute and chronic osteomyelitis, fracture/non-union, delayed wound healing, edema under cast, soft tissue swelling, traumatic and cellulitis (infection/mixed flora), acute necrotizing fascitis, severed digits, bone grafting, tendon and ligament injuries, post surgical repair, stump infections, peripheral vascular ulcer, arterial, decubitus, neuropathy related, venous, burger""s disease, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein thrombosis, migraine, pseudomembranous colitis, sickle cell crisis and hematuria, myocardial infarction, radiation cystitis and enteritis, frostbite, retinal artery occlusion, lepromatous leprosy, pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis, rheumatoid arthritis (acute), scleroderma, peptic ulcer, post cardiotomy low output failure, refractory mycoses, hemoglobin poisoning, acute and chronic lower limbs"" arteries affections, chronic coronary ischemia, peritonitis, hemoglobin poisoning by carbon monoxide and by barbiturates, posthemorrhagic condition, newly-born and premature babies hypoxia, after radiotherapy and prior to surgery in lung, mouth mucus and uterus cancers, pre-surgery preparation for cardiac acquired or congenital, malformations, to help blood circulation in high-risk surgery, preparation for surgery on the aorta and its cephalic branches, preparation for cardiac malformation surgery, arterial obstructions in the limbs before and after surgery (embolism, traumas, thrombosis), obstructive arteriopathy of the limbs, arteriosclerosis, gas embolism in the blood vessels, ulcers cause by defective blood circulation, heart strain, heart rhythm disturbances, irregular heartbeat, paroxysmal extrasystole, cardiac insufficiency, s in acquired cardiac malformations, cardiosclerosis decompensation, cardiac insufficiency after heart surgery, heart contraction disturbances, cardiopulmonary insufficiency, lung abscess before and after surgery, non specific chronic lung affections with cardio-pulmonary insufficiency signs, stomach and duodenum ulcers, intestinal occlusion, posthemorrhagic syndrome, acute viral hepatitis, with encephalic disturbances, (stages 1 and 2), without encephalic disturbances but with rapid evolution, liver cirrhosis, mechanical jaundice (stoppage of bilious reflux), hepatic insufficiency after resuscitation, toxic hepatitis (hepatotropic poisons), brain vessels, brain ischemia, cranial traumas, posthypoxic encephalopathy, botulism, cervical spinal cord trauma, acute retinal ischemia, retinal dystrophy, diabetic retinopathy, optic neuritis by methanol intoxication, diabetic arteriopathy, diabetic ulcers and polyneuritis, toxic goitre, paradontosis, facial phlegm, maxillary osteomyelitis, necrotic gingivitis and stomatitis, facial actinomycosis, fractured limbs with blood circulation disturbances, fractures in an arteriopathic or diabetic patient, delayed fracture solidification, osteomyelitis, abortion by placental ischemia, threats of abortion of endocrine origin, placental hypoxia, foetal hypoxia, pregnancy neuropathy (stage 1 and 2), pregnancy with immunological conflict, cardiac acquired or congenital malformation, diabetes, coma after eclampsia, asphyxia during delivery, brain blood circulation disturbances, newly-born baby hemolysis, ulcero-neurotic enterocolitis, phlegm, general septic abscess in spite of incision, infectious peritonitis with surgical removal of lesion, chlostridal infection, wound abscess in spite of drainage, prophylactic treatment of wound infected after open trauma, granular wound, wound with superficial, post surgery wound, poisoning of the hemoglobin, chloroxide poisoning, phospho-organic insecticide poisoning (carbophosphorus)
Typically treatment in a hyperbaric chamber is provided by administering up to 100 percent oxygen to the user via a closed-circuit mask, hood, or other device while the hyperbaric chamber is maintained at pressures above ambient pressure. The oxygen is supplied to the user from a supply source external to the chamber. The patient exhales through a closed system back outside the chamber such that the ambient air in the chamber remains less than 23.5% oxygen or is not oxygen enriched. The environment within the chamber is also generally maintained by a source external to the chamber and is generally controlled by a thermostat.
Such chambers are either very small or large and cumbersome and, to accommodate multiple users, the chamber must be correspondingly larger, particularly where users must be in the prone position while inside the chamber. This corresponding increase in size equates to increased cost to manufacture, transport, and, perhaps more importantly, due to the long life span of such chambers, increased cost in terms of floor space required by such chambers. Accordingly, there exists a need for a hyperbaric chamber capable of delivering treatments and therapies, and permitting exercise regimens, that occupies the minimal amount of floor space, yet is adaptable such that as the need for the chamber increases, the chamber can be readily modified to accommodate an increased number of users.
Additionally, due to the design criteria mandated by the pressure differentials between the environments interior to and exterior to the chamber, entry and exit is typically through circular or oval doorways that are too small for an individual to enter without bending over, stepping over a high threshold, or both. This presents great difficulty for individuals with physical ailments upon entry or exit from the hyperbaric chamber.
The present invention provides a unique device, an easy-entry, adaptable hyperbaric chamber, adapted in various ways to provide a temporary environment of elevated pressure. The device is described with respect to specific adaptations thereof, in order to demonstrate certain new features not heretofore available for addressing the problems with prior art devices.
Briefly stated, the present invention comprises a hyperbaric oxygen therapy system having a vertically-oriented pressure vessel with a generally rectangular door opening. The hyperbaric oxygen therapy system also includes a door frame sealingly attached to the door opening and a door panel. The door panel has a shape complementary to that of the door frame and is movable between an open position away from the door opening and a closed position adjacent to the door opening. A door support mechanism is attached to the pressure vessel and movably supports the door panel between the open position and closed position. The hyperbaric oxygen therapy system also includes an interlocking mechanism movable between a locked position when the door panel is in the closed position, wherein the interlocking mechanism extends between and secures the door panel and the door frame, and an unlocked position wherein the interlocking mechanism is retracted from one of the door panel and door frame. A gasket is interposed between the door panel and the door frame for sealing the door panel to the door frame when the door panel is in the closed position.